Chapter 515: Dead End Decision (Happy New Year, New Year's Day!)
The support from the Empire and the Federation was enough to prove his connections and power, and was more intimidating than simply showing up quietly at the Dusk Banquet.
But these two parties issued statements not really for his sake.
Adam was not aware of the Covenant's intervention for the time being. He only thought that Heckler had ambushed him and that the situation was still under control, so he issued a statement.
The federal government was initially reluctant, as issuing a statement would inevitably lead to follow-up consequences.
If not, then they are using their own reputation to guarantee others. It's not that they haven't done things that would make them swallow their pride, but they should do less of it.
However, the Empire has issued a statement, which has made the Federation feel slightly relieved.
In addition, the stargate node where the ambush took place is considered to be their actual controlled area, which is somewhat a challenge to their authority.
Taking all factors into consideration, they didn't mind doing Qinglong a favor.
"If these guys knew from the beginning that it was the Star Alliance who was behind this, they would definitely not support us." Li Ming understood this very well.
That's why we started with the Empire and mobilized the Federation.
The first step was completed, and the next step was the second. His eyes flashed slightly, and he found the account of "Epic Dragon Blowing". He contacted him anonymously and provided him with a video material.
There must be countless private messages on the other party’s backend page, and Li Ming even specially sent a gift worth one million star coins.
As expected, "Long Chui" quickly replied, very excited: "Boss, where did you get this video material? Do you have any more?"
Li Ming smiled slightly and closed the conversation page.
A day later, when the "kidnapping of Li Ming" incident was at its peak.
"Long Chui" released a video, which, after a brief delay, immediately ignited the heat of an event that had been brewing for several days.
The video is titled: [It was the Star Alliance that kidnapped Li Ming!?]
This guy has been very active in recent events, and has been fighting with others crazily.
As soon as the video was released, it immediately attracted a large number of people who came to visit.
It was like a close-up video, with faint bursts of flames in the desolate starry sky, but they were blurry and unclear.
Until the camera zooms out to a close-up, a red-haired figure wearing a mask appears vaguely, and a very considerate annotation is given next to him - Beckett, a higher life form of the Covenant.
"I was wondering why this guy suddenly disappeared for a day while he was on the line. Turns out he was planning something big."
"So clear? Long Chui can't be there, right?"
The barrage of comments filled the screen in an instant, and most people were just watching the fun, not realizing at first what kind of impact this incident would have.
Many people haven't finished watching the video yet, but related news has already topped the list - kidnappers from the Star Alliance?
Many people have analyzed this video and used various technical means to prove whether it is fake.
In a highly developed interstellar society, it is not difficult to create fake videos, but at the same time, the means to detect fake videos are also very advanced.
Many people claimed to have found evidence of fraud at the first moment, but when people flocked to the site, they discovered that it was just a means to attract traffic.
Therefore, more people are curious about what Qinglong will do. Will he suppress the Star Alliance?
No matter how much the lower levels were in an uproar, the relevant higher-ups were caught off guard by the news.
On the Empire's capital planet, Adam stared blankly at the virtual screen in front of him, on which was playing the video of Beckett and Rupert's attack.
Just a short segment, no enemies for them, and no final outcome.
"It's not Heckler..." Adam took a deep breath and couldn't help but want to curse.
His plan was originally very good. He would first stand on Qinglong's side with righteous words, and then point out Heckler to Qinglong after the matter became a hot topic.
He expressed his helplessness about the matter, and then gave a slight hint, letting Qinglong take action against Heckler and gradually get involved.
The result was fundamentally wrong; Heckler never did anything.
"Coward!" Adam said in a deep voice. His intelligence department had already done an analysis and basically ruled out the possibility that the video was fake.
In other words, the one who attacked Li Ming was probably the Star Alliance.
"They forgot about the Star Covenant. They are quite curious about what happened in the Red River Star Stream." Adam's face was gloomy. After knowing that it was the Star Covenant that attacked, it was easy for him to figure out the other party's thoughts.
Gutierrez didn't know about the existence of the Mechanical Holy Spirit. Based on Qinglong's public information, he was naturally the easiest one to control.
"You're so good, Qinglong." Adam couldn't help but snort coldly. This video was exposed at the right time. He didn't believe that a third party would release this video.
The one who sent this video must be Qinglong, which means that the other party had already determined that the person who took action was the Star Alliance.
"He didn't want to fight the Covenant alone, so he dragged us into it." Adam realized that he had fallen into a trap this time.
The announcement of support has been released, and the Empire, the Federation and others have all been tied up in the car by Qinglong.
The Azure Dragons can use their prestige to fight against the Covenant.
"That's not right..." Adam's eyes suddenly became deep, "Li Ming, was he really arrested?"
He thought of Qinglong's previous strong reaction and felt more and more that something was wrong.
He originally thought that it was because Li Ming lost his composure after being arrested, but now he thinks it is not that simple.
"This is a dead end..." Adam realized this, his expression changing. "Qinglong holds evidence of the Covenant attack, yet he claims he's been captured and issued a strongly worded statement."
"Now that the situation has become so serious, many people believe that the Star Alliance was behind it. I'm afraid many people want to see the game between the two sides."
"But from the very beginning, Li Ming was in Azure Dragon's hands. He could appear at any time. With just a few hints, he could make everyone believe that the Star Alliance had surrendered to Azure Dragon and handed over the hostages."
"He can rub the Star Alliance's face under his feet at will. It all depends on what Qinglong chooses."
"This guy..." Adam's face was serious, "A simple attack allowed him to find so many opportunities."
"This great enemy, isn't it a very suitable choice?"
…
"The Star Alliance is also involved?"
The one who was even more confused than Adam was Heckler. He was already at a loss as he watched the video.
After a long time, he finally struggled out, his face grim, "Anatole..."
Only Anatoly knew that Li Ming went to the Dusk Banquet alone.
He spent a lot of money to get this information from Anatoly.
But now it seems that the other party has sold this information to a third party.
This resulted in his people and the Star Alliance people taking action together at the Flowing Light Star Gate Node, the easiest place to take action and confirm identities.
Even Heckler felt like cursing at this moment. What the hell was going on?
I'm afraid Lyle has fallen into the hands of the Covenant.
The Covenant actually sent two X-level life forms directly. This is really generous of them.
Heckler couldn't help feeling a little aggrieved. He was just a faction within the Empire, so the power he could mobilize was naturally not as great as that of the Covenant.
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. The current situation was very complicated and beyond his expectations.
Ever since Qinglong released the announcement, this matter has tended to develop in an unknown direction.
The Empire and the Federation followed closely to express their support, which surprised Heckler even more and made him feel that the situation was chaotic.
Until this video appeared, he vaguely felt that the outline of the situation was right in front of him, but he couldn't grasp it.
"There's something strange about these things." Heckler gritted his teeth, his expression changing.
"No, I know too little. I can't make a fuss about Qinglong anymore. The price I paid is too high. If I put more resources into it, something bad will happen."
………
In the Star Alliance Council Chamber, Antigo's face turned grim. "How did he get the video?"
"If the attack is successful, everything should be in Beckett and his men's hands."
"The attack failed." Gutierrez shook his head, realizing what was happening. "This is a setup. We lost."
"Failed? What do you mean?" Antigo was puzzled. "There's no definite news yet, so why do you say the attack failed?"
Zigg couldn't help but sigh, "Don't you understand yet? Li Ming wasn't caught from the beginning. Qinglong deliberately made such a big fuss."
"Intentionally, why?" Antigo was still puzzled.
"He's wielding the might of the Empire and the Federation, claiming his students have been kidnapped, and the kidnappers are us. How will we respond in the eyes of the outside world?" asked Sieg.
"Response? According to our plan, it's nothing more than negotiation." Antigo frowned.
Zig spread his hands: "But we have no bargaining chips now."
Antigo snorted coldly: "That means Qinglong has superb skills."
"You still don't understand. We don't have the bargaining chips. The chips are in Qinglong's hands. Qinglong can negotiate with himself." Sieg said speechlessly.
"He could have rebuked us harshly, even publicly insulted us on StarCraft, and then Li Ming would have appeared again."
"What do you think Star will think?"
Antigo frowned, and after thinking hard for a moment, he finally figured it out. "They'll think we've given in. Even if Qinglong insults us again, we won't dare to do anything."
"Yes." Zig was helpless.
What the Star Alliance thinks is one thing, but the key is what the many member civilizations of the Star Alliance think.
Big Brother is unable to take responsibility and dares not say a word even after being beaten in the face. Naturally, there will be people who are ready to make trouble, and the trouble caused is not a small one.
"But we didn't catch Li Ming, so why not just make a statement?" Antigo said again.
"The statement...who would believe it? Beckett and Rupert are both in his hands. There are plenty of ways to prove it. Maybe someone will even ridicule us for taking action but not daring to admit it." Sieg was helpless. This was an unsolvable deadlock.
"Then make a fake one and fight him to the bitter end," Antigo said angrily. "How can he really control such a large Star Alliance?"
"According to what you said before, spilling some blood on his hand would be enough to prove the authenticity." Sieg said helplessly: "Besides, that means they are ready to break off relations. This Qinglong hides too many secrets, breaking off relations is not a good option."
"I was still too reckless." Gutierrez finally spoke, "This Azure Dragon is too tricky."
Sieg sighed repeatedly, and Antigo frowned, "Is there nothing we can do?"
"Yes, find Qinglong and capture him directly." Gutierrez said.
Now even Antigo was silent, and the atmosphere gradually became dull.
"Let's talk to him. He should be waiting for us now. He can scold us angrily, or he can negotiate with us in a gentle manner." Gutierrez said, "It depends on our choice."
………
"Well, the development rate has skyrocketed, and the effect of that Ultimate Essence should also be greatly enhanced."
In the spaceship room, Li Ming was experiencing another surge in development speed, with various energy particles surging throughout his body.
Suddenly, the smart terminal buzzed. Li Ming opened his eyes and glanced at it, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but grin.
After a quick tidy up, he chose to answer the call. It was still a video call. The person who popped up on the virtual screen was none other than the Star Alliance Chairman Gutierrez.
Although the communication was established, neither of them spoke at first. Li Ming was not in a hurry and looked calm.
After a long while, Gutierrez finally spoke: "Your Excellency Qinglong."
This greeting, with its meaning completely different from the last time they contacted each other, was filled with mixed emotions.
Li Ming didn't care and said calmly, "Mr. Gutierrez, how can you find time to contact me during your busy schedule?"
He responded in a normal and casual manner, as if the rumors circulating in the outside world had nothing to do with him.
Gutierrez's expression changed for a moment, but he quickly calmed down and said bluntly, "Your Excellency Qinglong, this situation is truly unexpected, for various reasons. You should understand."
"Surprise? Understand?" Li Ming paused, expressionless. "Of course I can fully understand you, so you should also be able to understand me."
Gutierrez was silent. "Just tell me, what price should we pay to resolve this matter?"
This guy was quite direct. This was his original intention. Li Ming didn't hesitate and said, "I want a Class X gene seed."
"X-level gene-seed?" Gutierrez frowned. This request was unexpected, but he nodded immediately. "Yes, it will be delivered to you in about ten years."
"Ten years?" Li Ming frowned. "That's too long."
Who will remember the current situation ten years from now, let alone ten years, not even a year.
Gutierrez reluctantly explained, "Ten years is a short time. It's not that easy to produce X-level gene seeds."
"Then give me the corpse of an X-level star beast." Li Ming changed the condition.
"X-class star beast corpse..." Gutierrez hesitated, then said helplessly, "We have to wait. The Star Alliance is a special case. It's not the Empire and the Federation. I need to coordinate with all civilizations."
"Since you have no sincerity in cooperating, forget it." Li Ming said coldly, "I will find my student at all costs."
Gutierrez's eyes were slightly cold, but he said, "We can give up suppressing the Machinists Association."
"I don't care." Li Ming shook his head. For now, the framework of the Mechanics Association is sufficient to support his development, and this matter is not a top priority.
It's really difficult... Gutierrez felt it was tricky. They had originally expected Qinglong to use the Mechanics Association as a condition.
"I can tell you the coordinates of a star beast." Gutierrez thought.
"Oh?" Li Ming's eyes flickered slightly, and he showed some interest.
"However, that place is quite special. Ordinary life forms may not even be able to see the star beasts, and they are extremely powerful." Gutierrez reminded.
Li Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, and he had a guess in his mind: "Are you talking about the coordinates that Anatoly has?"
Gutierrez nodded: "Yes, it is that star beast."
(End of this chapter)
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